Brown Arrives Just In Time For Guineas

Sunday, 13 March 2011 05:45

Corey Brown arrived on track just in time to guide talented three-year-old Kudakulari to an impressive win in the Listed Canberra Guineas on Sunday after being stranded in Melbourne.

Brown, who rode Shocking to win Saturday's Group One Australian Cup at Flemington, was due to leave at 11am but his flight was cancelled.

He eventually caught one more than two hours later and arrived on course just in time to take the mount on the Bart Cummings-trained gelding.

Kudakulari came from back in the field down the outside to claim the $100,000 event by half a length over the John O'Shea-trained Sworn To Secrecy with Notjustaprettyface was 3-1/2-lengths away in third.

"I just got here and everyone had already weighed out," Brown said.

"I was on a plane at 11 o'clock but it got cancelled. I didn't get on a plane until about a quarter past one."

Cummings' grandson James, who is his Sydney stable foreman, earmarked the Group Three Frank Packer Plate (2000m) as an ideal race for Kudakulari later this autumn.

"The Derby might come up a bit soon but we'll just wait and see," Cummings said.

Kudakulari won the Fernhill Handicap last season and was touted as one of Sydney's best three-year-olds but did not race up to expectations in the spring.

The son of Savabeel has since been gelded and James Cummings said it had made a big difference.

"The gelding operation definitely has helped him, but on top of the ground is where he can fire," he said.

"He had been working quite well since his third trial. We came here with a horse who had very good 1400 metre form, we were on top of the ground, and everything was there to suit us.

"I think you will see a good preparation from this horse."